Ages Stages Child Development3-8 Years Old

Ages stages child development - As babies mature, they progress through a series of child development milestones on their way to adulthood.

These developmental landmarks are characterized by the emergence of new gross motor, fine motor, language, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. As new skills develop, children are able to participate in more complex activities.

See what to expect along the way and how you can help in the developmental process just by playing games with your child!

We'll start with 3 year olds and progress through the elementary school years identifying specific behaviors that are characteristic of each age.

But please remember, these are only general guidelines. Your child will NOT fit exactly within these parameters.

3-Year Old: Friend or Enemy?

Ages Stages Child Development3 Years Old

Handles objects with better controlStrings beadsCuts with scissorsBalances on 1 foot for 3-4 secWalks on a 1" straight lineWalks on 4" wide beam altern stepsFeeds selfOpens doorsWashes and dries handsThrows a ball overheadTries to catch a large ballWalks on tiptoesKicks a ball forwardJumps with both feetPedals a tricyclePays attention for about 3 minKnows some numbersKnows where things usually belongMatches circles and squaresMatches an object to its pictureMatch objects with same functionCounts 2 to 3 objectsFollows simple one-step commandsMakes 3-5 word sentencesNames at least 10 familiar objectsNames at least one color correctlyHelps with simple tasksPlays spontaneously with 2-3 kids Catches a bounced ballMoves forward & back with agilityDraws a person with 2-4 body partsUnderstands "same" & "different"Jumps 5-10 times on both feetHops 2-5 times on one footJumps over a 3-4" hurdle Walks 3" beam 6' forward/3' backWalks along a wall w/o holding on Constantly asks "why" questionsBuilds towers of 8 blocksPours accuratelyInitiates games with other kidsWashes face & brushes teethPuts together a 4-6 piece puzzleRemembers where things are left Finds first letter of name on signsFinds hard to share

Ages Stages Child Development3.5 Years Old

Begins to control starts, stops, & turns while running Jumps 10 times on both feet Hops 5 times on 1 foot Jumps down from 2.5' Walks 3" beam 7.5' for/4.5' back Knows 1,250 words Adds 50 words to vocab each mon Speaks in more complex sentences Continues to ask "Why" questions Draws simple figures Rolls clay into a ball Uses knife to apply soft spreads Movements are more fluid/smooth Frustrates easily Enjoys building things Assumes you see what child can see Likes to explain why things happen

4-Year Old: Wild & Wonderful

Ages Stages Child Development4 Years Old

Walks with mature pattern Observes things with eyes only - no hands needed Improved depth perception Buttons large buttons Draws a picture with some detail Balances on 1 foot for 10 sec Walks circular pattern on a 1" line Walks on a 3" beam w/altern steps Tries to use fork Holds a pencil Tries to write name Draws using whole arm Draws a circle Draws a face Tries to cut paper with scissors Tries to buckle, button, and lace Completely undresses self Builds a tower of 7-9 blocks Puts together simple 4-12 pc puzzle Tries to skip Catches a bouncing ball Walks downstairs using rail/alt feet Swings self on playground swing Recognizes red, yellow, and blue Understands taking turns Wants to know what happens next Understands big, little, tall, short Sorts by shape or color Follows 3 instructions given at once Understands "real" vs "pretend" Has a large vocabulary Uses good grammar often Enjoys rhyming & nonsense wordsUnderstands "next to" Pretends- plays w/imaginary objects Acts out events which tell a storyPrefers playing with other kids to playing alone Changes game rules while playing Likes simple games-tag, hide & seek Likes "rough and tumble play" Likes to do things for self Knows age Can do a somersault Copies triangles & geometric shapes Counts 10 or more objects Starts to know concept of time

Ages Stages Child Development4.5 Years Old

Goes up stairs alternating feet, but comes down with a lead foot Can start and stop while running, but can't dodge Tries to gallop, but probably can't Hops 7-9 times Walks on 3" beam 9' forward/6'back Performs 8-10" standing long jump Jumps over a 9" hurdle Performs 24-33" running long jump Knows 1,800 words Adds 50 words to vocabulary/mon Speaks 4-5 word sentencesTalks through actions while playing Draws people with faces, eyes, noses, arms, and legs, but no bodies Draws crude houses and cars May write name Follows outline drawings & colors inside lines, but not very well Puts together 10-25 piece puzzles Follows simple instructions on kits with help Cuts with scissors, but not accurately Throws bean bags and small balls, but aim isn't very good Catches large balls using arms & hands Begins to throw overhand Starts to see things from another person's perspective Can draw a conclusion based on 2 or more ideas Plays simple board gamesDoes well on memory games Knows that 3 is more than 2, but doesn't understand same relationship with bigger numbers

5-Year Old: Sunny & Serene

Ages Stages Child Development5 Years Old

Understands horizontal & vertical Better control with fingers Colors within the lines Cuts with scissors fairly accurately Draws a recognizable personPerforms a 16" standing jump Jumps over 6" hurdle Hops 6' on either footThrows a small ball with a same-side forward stepping patternRolls sideways to the right & leftWalks up/down stairs carrying an object in hand w/out assistanceWalks 1" line 12' long (2 step offs)

6-Year Old: Loving & Defiant

Ages Stages Child Development6 Years Old

Begins to dodge Running strides get longer Gallops Hops 10 or more timesSkips Can jump and reach 2-3" Walks on 3" beam 11' for/8' backClimbs a rope ladder, pole, tree Standing broad jumps 5-18" Jumps over a 9" high hurdle Running longs jumps 28-35" Know more than 2,000 words Learns 1,000 word a year Speaks in 6-8 word sentences Draws more detailed pictures Draws simple dot-to-dot drawings Traces a line, copies letters, & draws around shapes Colors more neatly, but still has trouble staying in lines Uses knife & fork, but has trouble cutting meat Cuts straight & curved lines Carries things carefully Begins to understand jokes Starts to put things in order Matches & sorts using more than 1 category Recognizes letters & 1 or 2 words Counts to 10, but doesn't know that 9 is greater than 8 Carries out actions more systematically & methodically Uses very simple logic Manipulates, cheats, misleads, lies Age of innocence is passing Parents are not quite center of child's world like in the past Likes to please, but is becoming more competitive Expresses feelings & may cry when hearing a sad story Likes stories without pictures

7-Year Old: Life in a Minor Key

Ages Stages Child Development7 Years Old

Prefers pencil over crayonsMakes uniform size letters/numbersDrawings of people more accurateMoves to direction commandsRuns with a mature patternJumps in place for 1 minuteJumps a self-turned ropePerforms a 3-4' standing jump Jumps over 8" hurdleHops 16' on either footWalks a 4" wide beam 8' long on the floor (1 step off)Throws a small ball 35-60'Strikes an 8" ball from a tee using a mature pattern

8-Year Old: Lively & Outgoing

Ages Stages Child Development8 Years Old

Copies a diamond shape Tries to write in cursiveIdentifies R & L on others or objectsJumps over a 9" hurdleWalks a 4" wide beam 8' long 4" off the ground (1 step off)Kicks a soccer ball 13' or moreCatches a tossed ball w/hands onlyBounces ball on floor target 13 sec

Here's an excellent book I would highly recommend that was a helpful resource for child development milestones.

It also provides 130 fun activities you can do with your 2-6 year olds to help them learn through play activities.